Walk into the medieval and early Renaissance rooms at the National Gallery in London and the walls turn to gold. Almost every panel is religious: a Virgin and Child, a saint, a …
- London
St James’s Park, London: Pelicans, Willows and the Best View of Buckingham Palace
by Bubblyby Bubbly 6 min readI came to St James’s Park the way most people do, straight from Buckingham Palace, with an hour to spare and no real plan. I have done it a few times now, …
- London
The High Renaissance at the National Gallery, London: Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael
by Bubblyby Bubbly 7 min readIn my last post on the National Gallery I followed the Early Renaissance in Florence, and ended with three quiet workshop masters: Verrocchio, who trained Leonardo, Ghirlandaio, who trained Michelangelo, and Fra …
- London
The Early Renaissance at the National Gallery, London: Florence and the Rebirth of Painting
by Bubblyby Bubbly 7 min readI have always loved the Renaissance, and not just the famous paintings but the idea inside the word itself: rebirth. After centuries in which European art had mostly served the church in …
- London
Pasta Evangelists, New Oxford Street: Comfort Pasta and the Wrong Door
by Bubblyby Bubbly 6 min readPasta is my comfort food. It takes me straight back to Italy, one of my favourite countries, and in particular to a bowl of pasta I ate in Rome that quietly ruined …
- London
Botticelli at the National Gallery, London: Venus, Saints, and Savonarola
by Bubblyby Bubbly 8 min readI have loved Botticelli since I was a girl. Long before I understood anything about the Renaissance, I knew those faces: the tilt of a head, the pale gold hair, the calm …